Together
by KAC
Summary: Sam and Daniel realize all that they have been through TOGETHER...


Ahhh… What a beautiful day on Earth. It had a been a long time since Dr. Daniel Jackson had spent an entire week on Earth with nothing to do but to enjoy the magic of his home planet. After seeing as many worlds, cultures and battles, he was grateful to be home. Not just in his apartment, but HOME… Earth… his Mother world. His dreams and desires came true when the Stargate was revealed to him, but this was the first time he appreciated the simplicity of good 'ol mother Earth. He took in her aromas, the trees, the backyard BBQ's, the carefully planted gardens of his favorite park. Daniel sat on a bench near a lake, watching children play, children completely unaware of the dangers that existed and the many times he and his team had saved them. This is what he sacrificed a "real" life for. No regret! Well, maybe one. He missed being in love. Not only did he miss Sha're, but he missed LOVE. It's who he is. As easy as it is to push it aside and save the world time and time again, he still misses the intimacy of someone he can share his soul with. Sha're is dead, Sarah needed to remove herself from the nightmare she experienced as being the host for Osiris and moved on. Is he doomed to have his loves ripped from him? Just like Sam? Sam, lovely, smart, funny, kind and wonderful Sam. He loved her, but how?

Dr./Colonel Samantha Carter, the most brilliant scientist and warrior the world could hope for. She's someone who could afford to be arrogant, a bit cocky, but not her. She's as grounded as the day she was born. She too is enjoying SG-1's required time off to de-stress, but only for the first day or two. She's a workaholic and needs to always be busy. But what can she do? General O'Neill has ordered SG-1 to take a week off after a particularly dangerous and physically exhausting mission. She's bored.

"Hello?" Daniel answers his cell phone while enjoying the sun.

"Daniel? It's Sam"

"Hey, Sam, how's it goin'?

"I can't stand this Daniel, I'm bored. What are you doing for our 'required time off'" she says sarcastically.

"Well, I'm enjoying the park! It's good to get reacquainted with Earth" the boasts.

"Geez Daniel, you seem so serene!" Secretly jealous.

"Well, Sam, I've been thinking a lot, I miss Earth."

Sam is thinking to herself 'I miss YOU'.

"I wish I felt the way you do, Daniel. I miss going off world. There's nothing here for me.

Daniel senses something's wrong.

"I'll be right there, Sam. Lets have pizza, beer and a nice chat."

Just what she had been hoping for.

"Great, I'll order the pizza, you bring the beer! See you in a few." She hangs up smiling. Not really anticipating anything intimate, just warm with the feeling that he'll be there.

"Hey Sam!" Daniel arrives at the door with her favorite beer. He's the most thoughtful, unassuming man. Yet, one tough cookie when it comes to battle. Could there ever be a more perfect man?

"Hi Daniel! Thanks for bringing the beer, I was all out." She tries to act normal. You know, not like she's fantasized about him every day since he was ascended. She realized way back then that she loved him and needed him.

"So, what's on TV?" Daniel asks.

"Nothing but some weird sci-fi stuff."

"Yeah, those writers sure come up with some weird stories." They both laugh. No writer could imagine anything close to what they've experienced. Together.

"Ok, how about a movie?" Daniel tries to make the evening seem as "friendly" as possible. He's suppressed his feelings for Sam for the last couple of years. He would watch her sleep and work and in her most private moments while ascended. It was there he realized how much he missed standing beside her. They had saved entire civilizations together. They had solved impossible problems together and most importantly, they had saved each others lives. They were more than friends, but what exactly?

"Sure, how about a comedy?" Sam asks?

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Daniel, still thinking about where he wants to be with her, but not ready to give in.

They decide on a season of Saturday Night Live on DVD, laughing so hard they cried. They also went through several beers, but neither were drunk. They had learned long ago that Earth needed them and being drunk wasn't an option to them.

"Oh, I love SNL!" said Sam through her laughter.

"Yeah, me too" Daniel gets up to remove the DVD from the player.

"Music?" he asks.

"Yeah, pick a music channel" she suggests.

Daniel, not wanting this to seem to romantic, picks something a little up beat, but not party like.

"I feel like some jazz, Daniel. Can you switch to that one?"

'crap, do I seem desperate?' she asks herself?

"Sure, sounds good." Daniel turns on the jazz channel.

The two long time friends sit in front of the fire Daniel had made during the DVD. They'd switched to some wine and just sat, in silence. They could do that. They were comfortable enough in each others presence to be able to just sit, no talking.

After a little while, after each watched the fire and were deep in their own thoughts, Sam decided to speak up.

"Daniel?" she asks

"Yup, that's me!" they both smile

"Did you come and 'visit' me while you were ascended?" she was nervous for the answer.

He thought… he had never lied to her and now was not the time to start.

"Yes I did."

"When?" she prompted

"Well.. I visited Jack when he was captured by Baal, and…"

"No, not Jack, ME. When did you visit me?" She was insistent, he was nervous. All of a sudden, the overwhelming feeling… it's now or never.

"I visited you several times."

"Where? When?" she asks, really wanting to know, her soul wanted to know.

"In your office while you were working on finding out what had happened to Jonas while he was in a coma."

"Any other times, that I don't know about?" She had actually thought she felt him beside her then.

With a deep breath and great bravery…

"Yes"

"Daniel… !"

"Ok, I would watch over you on missions to make sure you were ok. I'd watch you work through each problem that came into your lab. I'd watch you cook dinner in the evening , I'd watch you sleep at night, wondering what you were dreaming about!" it just came pouring out. Could he tell her what he was thinking as he watched her?

Befuddled she responded, "I, I, don't know what to say? It almost sounds like…"

"Like I was stalking you?" he half jokingly said.

"No, like you missed me." she said softly.

She had no idea.

"Sam, we're about as close as a man and woman could possibly be without being married. I love you and I need to know that you're ok."

"Like a sister, you mean?" hiding her disappointment.

'How do I handle this' he thinks….

"Sam, I don't know how to describe my love for you. It's like nothing I've ever experienced. How could we go through everything we have over the last 8 years and NOT love each other. The question is how deep and at what level." Big sigh! " I was at the park today when you called. I was thinking about how much I miss Earth and I was ready to give up going on off-world missions. One thing holds me back from doing that. You. Not that I think you need me there to protect you, hell, you protect me! I just need to be by your side all the time. If that means doing it on other planets and in battle, so be it. But I need you."

"Daniel, I don't know what to say. I love you too, but I KNOW how deep and what level." she decides to go for it…"I love you like I never thought I could love anyone. My career has been my life. Ever since you left us, I've questioned that commitment. You ascending devastated me, and that was my wake-up call. I am in love with you Daniel." There, she said it. It's out there, never to be taken back.

'Wow, did she say what I just thought she said?' he thinks. He's stunned, his heart is pounding, he doesn't know what to say, he can't think..

He leans in, gently puts his hand behind her hair, her soft, regulation, but oh-so-sexy hair. Looking into her scared eyes (never had he seen this fear in her, not even in battle), he falls, he lets go, no more apprehension. It's her here, telling him she loves him. He smiles, pulls her face to his and they kiss. Ever so lightly, just testing each other out. They've been in battle together, imprisoned together, experienced wonderful cultures together, witnessed the most amazing events together, procured and defeated weapons together. But a kiss, a much more powerful weapon , this was their first time experiencing that… together. Soft, explorative, comforting and exhilarating all at the same time. Was it what each had dreamed about? No! More! It was real. Real lips, real breath, real touch. How could they have waited so long for this… this is what was meant to be.

"Daniel. Daniel!" she breaks away.

"Yeah?"

"Is this what we should be doing? I mean with regards to SG-1. I am your 'boss' so to speak."

"Sam, forget about SG-1, forget about Earth and Baal and Anubis and any other psycho enemy. This is US, you and me. There's nothing else here tonight. Gosh! We've FINALLY told each other the truth, lets enjoy it. I need to be with you Sam. Not Col. Carter, not Dr. Carter, but Samantha Carter, Sam, _my_ Sam. Release all that other crap from your mind. It's about us now."

He was right. She needed to be a woman tonight, not a Dr., not a Col., not the savior of Earth or the Asgard race, or any the other civilization, not the warrior, not the scientist. The woman. The woman in love with the man caressing her face, looking into her eyes and saying he loves her. The one who confessed to watching her sleep while ascended to another plain of existence. If that isn't the true declaration of love, what is.

"I know. I'm just scared. Give me a battle over this any day!" she nervously confesses.

"Why? I'm not going to hurt you Sam. Never. Let go, enjoy this. We are in love, face it and enjoy it!"

She kissed him and all the fear and apprehension went away. She opened her body and soul to him. Daniel stands, takes her hand and leads her to her bedroom. She finally feels like a woman. Not a Colonel, not a warrior, not a scientist. She bites her lip and smiles, looks down, trying not to giggle as he leads her by the hand. The urge to giggle instantly goes away when he stops by the bed and looks at her.

She can't count the number of times they had been off-world, on a mission and had to sleep side by side on the ground or against a tree with him. She had always loved and found comfort in it, but she also knew it would never go any further. This was different, it WAS going further… and she was glad.

Holding both of her hands, he bends and kisses her neck, softly, taking in the scent he'd grown to find comfort in on the many over night missions. He had wanted to kiss her there so many times. She's soft, she's strong. He's needing her.

Her body responds to his kisses involuntarily. Almost like her body knew it had to override her ever-analytical mind. Daniel's kisses made her realize she's a woman, just a woman wanting a man, this man.

Her hands caress his shoulders and down his arms. She'd slept in those arms, dreamt about those arms, now they were hers. She kisses down his left arm until she gets to his fingers. Again, so familiar, yet never intimate. This sends her over the edge, no longer restrained. She takes off his shirt, unbuttons his jeans and slowly unzips them. He's taken aback. He'd never seen Sam so aggressive outside of science or battle. This completed his arousal, fully! He removes her shirt, breathless, he sees what he never even dreamt to see. To his surprised, she had already taken off her bra.

"I need you Daniel. I've dreamt about you. I even felt as though your soul had once touched mine! Please Daniel, make love to me!"

Ever since he had ascended, he knew. He knew he needed to be with her. This may have partly been why he was sent back. He couldn't let go of his friendships with Teal'c, Jack and Gen. Hammond, and his love for Sam. He could never truly be ascended as long as his heart was with SG-1, the SGC and her.

"Sam, I'm torn.." he says.

"Because we work together?" she's afraid he's backing way.

"No." he smiles, devilishly.

"I'm torn between MAD, crazy sex and slow, enveloping sex. I seem to want it all with you." he's embarrassed he said that.

She smiles.

"We've got a whole week of mandatory time off to try both and much, much more!"

She goes in to his face, softly kisses his cheek, down his neck and back to his soft, full, round, wonderful lips.

"I say we start slow and work our way up."

Sam reaches down to Daniels jeans and slowly slides them over his perfect hips. Ah, boxer/briefs, her favorite. He can't believe this is his Sam. Doing what he'd dreamed of for so long. He does the same with her jeans, taking her delicate panties with them. Finally, here they are, both naked, not just their bodies, but their hearts.

He gently lays her down on the bed.

"Are you cold?" he asks.

"No, quite the opposite."

They lay together, kissing, caressing and exploring all the things they'd wished to do for years. Sam can't believe that Daniel is touching her nudity, her most vulnerable state. She loves Jack, Teal'c, Janet, but no one gets this close. Jonah hadn't gotten this close. Martouf may have, if he'd lived, or even Orlin. But this is Daniel, HER Daniel. The Daniel that she had cried over when he 'died'. The Daniel that could step outside of the military regulations that bound her and saved thousands of people. The Daniel that would sacrifice his own life for anyone else's. The Daniel with whom she pleaded to hold on when he was in Marcello's body and about to go away forever. The Daniel that watched over her when she was taken over by an alien virus.

Daniel couldn't take it anymore, he MUST make love to her now. He begins to kiss her perfect breasts, her stomach and finally… back up to her lips. She couldn't wait to have his lips on hers again. Just as he kisses her, he enters her. Never in her life had she thought this physical act could spur such emotion, such intense, soulful pleasure. She'd let a man in. Not just in her physical body, but in everything that she is. This was not 'just' a man either. This was Daniel.

Samantha couldn't remember the last time she had felt at ease and relaxed. Lying on Daniels chest, both still breathing rather heavy, she was, finally at ease. All the battles, all the problems to solve, all the people to save! It was her turn. She'd been blessed. Was it because she had dedicated her life over the last 8 years to saving the human race that she was granted the most perfect night of love making there could be? Orgasm… that seemed like a far away word, like when you learned to spell C.A.T in kindergarten. Now it was real, many times over. It wasn't just the fact she'd finally reached ultimate physical bliss again, but that it was with the man that meant the most to her. The man she knows everything about. There are no doubts, no reservations about his past. She knows it all, she's been through most of it with him.

"Daniel."

"Yeah"

"Thank you"

"For what?" he smiles

"For… I don't know exactly. Everything I want to say sounds so clich'."

"Sam, you don't need to explain. I know. You are my beautiful 'Capt/Dr'. I know you, I know us."

"What do we tell Jack and Teal'c?" she instantly snaps back to reality.

"I don't think we tell them anything yet. Not until we think about it a while."

"But, I'm your CO, this goes against regs…"

"SAM! Remember, I'm not military. I know you're in command of SG-1, but honestly, how long do you think we could all stay together. We have a lot of other SG teams that are just as capable. Maybe it would be best if you and I stay off of missions for a while."

"What about Teal'c?"

"He's just as happy going off to aid to the rebel Jaffa's." he tries to convince her it's time to take their life a little more for themselves.

"I know. But it's hard to give up." She wants a family, kids, she wants it with him. There's another side of her that is so proud of what she's done, it's hard to give up.

"Besides, my Dad is still out there." She knows it's weak.

"Sam, you know, he has a better chance of contacting us, than we do of him." He has to be strong.

"Sam, he wants you to do what makes you happy. What is that?" Daniel knows the answer, but is afraid he's wrong.

"Daniel, my whole life has been about science. More than 10 years of my life has been the Stargate. I've gone beyond my goals, even my wildest dreams. I can say I've done 'damn good'!"

Oh no, here it is he thinks. The career, the saving the planet stuff is more important. Could he blame her? The meaning of life stuff is what he's been after all this time too. Sure, he's found several clues to it, but hasn't quite gotten there…

She continues. "But I've realized. I've fulfilled only half of what my life should be. For my life to have meaning, I need to share myself. Not just with a man that is worthy, but with a child."

The words…'for my life to have meaning', the meaning of life… Was it history, was it physics, was it exploration? No. It's right here in his arms.


End file.
